Opebating and locking knob-bolts



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQF.

OLIVER ELLSVVORTH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

OPERATING AND LOCKING KNOB-BOLTS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,767, dated June 7, 1853.

To al whom @'25 may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER ELLswoRTH, ofHartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have madea new and useful Improvement in the Mode of Fastening and UnfasteningDoors by a Door Lock, Latch, or Bolt; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which- Figure 21 represents the fastener, lock or latch as it appearswithin a mort-isc in a door, the same being an edge view. Fig. 19represents a perspective View ofthe saine, exhibiting the inside knoband ring. Fig. 27 represents a perspective view of the same, exhibitingthe outside knob and key hole.

My mode of constructing the lock, is as follows: I take what is nowcommonly known as the mortise latch (shown in Fig. 18) the parts ofwhich being composed of a bolt, (Fig. 23), a spiral spring (Fig. 25), ashoe (Figs. 25 and 26) attached to the end of said bolt, a tumbler whichplays upon the arms of said shoe (shown in Fig. 29 at letters A, B, andB, O), all of which are contained in a. suitable case (shown in Fig.31). To the tumbler of said latch I attach a pin (Fig. 31 at letter E)so that one end of said pin being fastened to the tumbler (Fig. 30letter P) the opposite end of said pin will point toward and bear uponthe bolt (Fig. 31 letter E) so as to prevent the bolt being pushed backinto the case of the latch by any instrument from the outside, workingupon the end of said bolt. Said pin or preventer is so arranged as to beturned away from the end of said bolt by means of the turning of thetumbler, thereby allowing the bolt to be brought within the case of thelock as shown in Fig. 36.

The hole through my tumbler is made round (see Fig. 28) for the purposeof ad mitting a round spindle (Fig. 22). On either side of the case ofsaid latch or lock I cause a cavity to be made having oblique sides(Figs. 18, 22 and 35). Said cavity is formed around any part of the lockcase, through which said spindle passes, and said cavity is soconstructed as to admit a pin called rod pin (Fig. 35) hereinafterdescribed. I now take a hollow spindle, one end of said spindle beingclosed by a mail key or stopper (Fig. 3, letters F F) :through saidstopper a pin passes called thumb pin or disconnecter (Fig. 4 letter D).Said thumb pin possesses a head upon each end, the one head beingconfined within the hollow spindle, while the opposite end of the pinprojects outside of the knob hereinafter described. A slit is now madein the hollow spindle, commencing at the opposite end from thatcontaining the mail key 7 or stopper and tumbler-pin or disconnectorwhich slit terminates at a point on the spondle sutiicient toadmit andallow the rod working backward and forward as hereinafter described. Inow attach to a tube, a knob; (Fig. 10). Said knob tube possesses teethon the opposite end of the tube from that containing the knob, and thistube I attach to the spindle (Fig. 11) but not in such manner that saidknob and tube may not be turned around upon the spindle while said knoband tube cannot be withdrawn -from the spindle. This knob attached tosaid spindle as aforesaid I shall call the outside knob (Fig. 21).

At a required point on the spindle I place a screw, the head of whichserves to turn the tumbler (Fig. 21 letter B) when the spindle isturned, while the inside point of the screw (which comes through thespindle) serves to hold the main spring (Fig. 8 letter E) which isattached to the rod. I now place the rod (Fig. 11 letter C C) within thespindle, allowing the shank of the rod to point toward the open end ofsaid spindle (Fig. 11). Around said shank I place a spiral spring (Figs.11 and 12). If now the spindle be placed within the lock and the insideknob screwed on to the spindle at the opposite end and the thumb pin ordisconnecor already referred to be pushed in from the outside knob (Fig.21) said thumb pin coming in contact with the end of the rod forces therod toward the inside knob carrying the pin, (attached to the rod andknown as rod pin) -out of the teeth of the outside kno-b tube and intothe cavity or oblique sides contained in the side of the lock case (Fig.35). The latch has now become a lock to any person on the outside, asthe outside knob will turn around upon the spindle without turning saidspindle. The

only way of opening the lock from the outside when thus disconnected isby the introduction of a key into the outside knob (Fig. 13) which keyfits over the thumb pin and onto the end of the spindle. If the spindlebe turned, t-he tumbler will now be turned, by means of the pin or screwattached to the spindle called tumbler pin; which pin fits into a slitmade for that purpose in the tumbler (Fig. 33 letter R).

The turning of the spindle either with a key from the outside or bymeans of turning the knob from the inside has the same effect. In theone case the lock is opened by means of the tumbler pin as aforesaid,while in the other case the pin of the rod (called rod pin) having beenlodged in the cavity of the lock (possessing oblique sides) is nowbroughtagainst these oblique sides and at once forced out of the cavityand into the opening between the teeth in the out-side knob tube (Fig.22). The spiral spring already placed around the shank of my rod assiststo keep said rod pin between the openings of the teeth (Fig. 2l) -by oneend of said spiral spring pressing against the inside knob (Fig. 12) orbeing confined Within the hollow spindle so that the opposite end of thespring (Fig. 14) will always pass against the rod. The inside knobhaving been provided with a hole passing through its center (Fig. 12, 19and 21) I now attach to the end of my rod possessing the shank anextender (Fig. 14: letter K) which consists of a tube screw cut on theoutside, which end being screwed to the shank of the rod the oppositeend projects outside of the inside knob, thus permitting the spindle tobe accommodated to any required thickness of a door (Fig. 21). Thisextender serves only two purposes: 1st, by it the outside knob isdisconnected by the withdrawal of the extender to a required point whenon the inside of a door-thus drawing out the rod pin from the teeth;2nd, the rod is lengthened or shortened as required to fit a door byscrewing up or unscrewing the extender to or from the shank of the rod.

It would then appear my improvementcan be converted into a lock or latchat pleasure, either from the outside or inside of a door. 1st, saidimprovement can be converted into a lock from the outside by simplypushing in the thumb pin or disconnecting pin; 2nd, a key introducedinto the outside knob converts the lock into a latch; 3d, it can beconverted into a lock from the inside by the simple drawing out of theextender; 4th, it can be converted into a latch by turning the insideknob, thus affording a safety for the use of'rail road cars and otherslhitherto unknown.

I claim therefore as my invention and improvement 1. The preventer Eattached to the tumbler of the lock for the purpose of preventing thebolt being forced inward by means of any instrument from without.

2. I claim in combination with the pin and spring the oblique sides orangles cavity or opening made in the sides of the case of the lock shownin Figs. 22, 34 and 35 for purposes already set forth, z'. e., for thepurpose of converting my lock or restoring the connection between theouter knob spindle lock into a latch by means of the rod pin coming incontact with the oblique sides when the inside knobV is turned, therebyturning the spindle and causing the rod pin to be moved out by reason ofthe friction of said rod pin upon the sides of said cavity, as hereinset forth.

3. I claim the introduction of a key through a door knob for the purposeof turning the spindle of the lock thereby causing a lock to beconverted into a latch (from the outside) as described in thisspecification.

4. I claim the thumb pin or disconnecting pin which pin passes throughthe outside knob and into the spindle, thereby forming a connectionwit-h the rod for the purpose of converting a latch into a lock atpleasure from the outside of a door, as herein set forth.

The value of my improvement consists chiefly in making said lock andlatch a more simple, economical, convenient and secure lock and latchthan those now used.

OLIVER ELLSVVORTH.

Witnesses:

WM. YV. ELLSWORTH, ELIZABETH ELLSWORTH.

